The Logic of Legalism in a Society of Desire: Profit and Tactics in Jin Ping Mei

This article explores Jin Ping Mei through the lens of Han Feizi's Legalist philosophy, arguing that the novel presents a literary embodiment of a society governed by profit (li) and tactics (shu). As Confucian ethics recede, a Legalist logic dominates both domestic and public life, exemplified by Ximen Qing's manipulation of power, relationships, and law. Drawing on Han Feizi's triad of fa (law), shu (tactics), and shi (power), the study shows how these tools of governance are corrupted through their application in a secular, tactical society. The collapse of Ximen's network reveals the internal instability of Legalist order when stripped of ethical restraint. Rather than offering moral resolution, Jin Ping Mei functions as a critical reflection on the cost of rule by strategy alone. The article contributes to cross-disciplinary discourse on Chinese political thought, literature, and the crisis of moral order.